Crutchlow frustrated by Honda's favouritism towards retiring Pedrosa

Pedrosa is quitting the series at the end of year, while Crutchlow has signed an extension to his HRC contract.

But Honda opted for Pedrosa to receive the latest parts ahead of this weekend's Aragon Grand Prix.

Despite crashing out in Q2 and losing out on a possible front row start, Crutchlow qualified fourth. Pedrosa set a time quick enough only for sixth, 0.1 off the Briton.

Crutchlow said: "I have to worry about Dani [in the race.

"Honda is supporting Dani more this weekend. It seems they gave him the parts before they gave them to me.

"It's their choice. They gave him the thing, because... they have to think of their teams' championship. But maybe they are worried about the threat I will become if I have the part."

When asked if he could have gone any faster in qualifying, he replied: "There's not more in our package, I can tell you that. Lucio [Cecchinello, team boss] is not pissed off [with me] at all.

"He's pissed off at the situation, that the other rider has got the parts this weekend and I haven't. We deserve them, we've been doing a great job every weekend.

Crutchlow said he thought even Marc Marquez could not have gone any faster on his satellite RC213V, which does not have the carbon swingarm of the works Hondas.

"I think if you put Marc on my bike he would have done the same laptime as me. I think at the moment I am riding very well, but I think the difference is the parts they've got now.

"Some racetracks it's not such a big difference, but when it's hot like it is here or Misano, that's the difference. At Silverstone I was faster all weekend.

"I don't have the pace of the Ducatis, that's for sure. But I can get better, I think. Marc doesn't have the pace of the Ducatis either, I don't think."

Pedrosa confirmed he had been given the new swingarm at Misano, where he finished sixth, but he has no significant new parts at Aragon.

Explaining his qualifying crash at the Turn 12 left-hander, Crutchlow said he had been caught out by Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales going slowly on that part of the track.

"I was a little bit unsighted, because as I came over that hill, Vinales was in the middle of the track.

"As I came over the hill, Dani was close, then all I saw was a blue bike. So I laid the bike over fast, to try to tip in early, because I didn't know what was going on, and then I lost the front."